CH 48
I Treat You as a Brother
48 â A Guy Friendâs Coat and a Wife Body Pillow
Translator: tamago
Editors: Yin
Proofreader: Aaru
After the two figures had completely disappeared, Xu Xiran and Fang Mo, who were still sitting side by side on the bench, looked at each other.
After a while, Xu Xiran, who was still in a state of shock said, âTheyâ¦â
Fang Mo stood up suddenly: âItâs getting late! Letâs head back!â
~
Zou Shun was already half asleep. After being forcibly lifted by the two of them again, he struggled a few times, then soon became silent once more.
Fang Mo handed the coat that was covering Zou Shun over to Xu Xiran and asked him to put it on.
As Xu Xiran took it, he thought in his mind that something didnât seem right. From a logistical standpoint, Fang Mo should have taken off his coat and returned it to him, and then put on his own coat. But on second thought, Fang Mo probably thought that was too troublesome. Their relationship was good, so it was no big deal to wear each otherâs coats.
After walking a few steps in Fang Moâs coat, Xu Xiran suddenly felt pleased with himself.
âYour clothes are a bit small,â he smiled at Fang Mo, âTheyâre a bit tight on me.â
The coat was more of a slim fit and the fabric was not stretchy. When Xu Xiran put it on and raised his arm, he felt a noticeable pull.
Fang Mo neither confirmed nor denied: âDo you want to switch back?â
Xu Xiran gestured to Zou Shun with his chin, who was between the two of them: âThereâs no place to put him. Letâs make do for now.â
Fang Mo held back a smile and nodded: âThen letâs hurry.â
After another half a minute, Xu Xiran spoke again: âDo you know what this means?â
âAh?â Fang Mo didnât understand what he meant.
âThis coat is tight on me,â Xu Xiran said, âWhich means that my shoulders are broader, and my muscles are bigger. My figure is better than yours.â
Fang Mo turned his head and looked at him speechlessly.
âAnd you have the nerve to shun me for not having a six-pack.â Xu Xiran said.
What Fang Mo said back at the cafe still haunted him until now.
âI still have a bit of stuff okay,â he continued to emphasize.
Fang Mo was so shameless that he burst out laughing.
âNot only that,â he said with a smile, âyou are also better-looking than others, and taller than others. You have charisma, and you donât need some abs to make you look better.â
ââ¦You are so insincere,â Xu Xiran was dissatisfied.
âIâm serious,â Fang Mo was still smiling, but didnât look at him when he said, âYou are more handsome than all of them.â
Not knowing whether he was being ironic or not, Xu Xiran couldnât respond for a while, and his face couldnât help but burn a little.
Fang Mo continued: âBesides, it wonât look good if you have too much muscle. What you have is just right. A bit more and itâs too greasy and a bit less and itâs not enough. Itâs perfect.â
Xu Xiran began to feel shame. To cover up, he cleared his throat, and then awkwardly said, âYou have a good eye.â
~
The coat ended up being too tight for comfort, so midway, Xu Xiran arduously used one hand to take it off. It was hard work carrying a person, but he didnât feel cold. By the time Zou Shun was finally sent back to the dormitory, he was even sweating a little.
Once they finished taking care of the drunkard, he and Fang Mo went back to their own dormitories. After taking a shower and lying on the bed, he came back to his senses and realized that his coat was still on Fang Mo.
He sent a message to Fang Mo, reminding him to return his coat the next day. A moment later, he received some bad news. Fang Mo told him that he had accidentally broken the zipper of his coat.
âWhy does something always happen to my clothes as soon as theyâre in your hands?â Xu Xiran couldnât help but complain.
Fang Mo responded in a voice message.
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to.â
He seemed to already be lying in bed, and his voice was much gentler than usual, with a drawn-out tone that sounded a little lazy and raspy.
Once Xu Xiran finished listening to it, the demons inside made him repeat it a second time.
After listening to it three times, a new voice message was sent over.
âIâll compensate you for it, okay? I have a lot of looser ones, you can pick whatever one you want.â
Xu Xiran thought to himself, last time, you said you would buy a new one to compensate me, but you still havenât brought that up yet.
Before he could finish typing this line, Fang Mo sent him a new message which completely changed the topic.
âLiu Xiaochang hasnât returned to the dorm yet.â
Xu Xiran replied with a series of ellipses.
[âYou tell me, what do you think heâs doing with your xuedi right now?â]
Naturally, he was proving that he was indeed a 1. The answer was so obvious that Xu Xiran felt that he specifically asked because Fang Mo wanted to talk about inappropriate things with him.
As a normal young man, Xu Xiran was naturally interested in these kinds of topics. But as a straight man, he didnât want to think too much about inappropriate things among gay men.
Fang Mo sent him another voice message.
âAi, Iâm so envious. They all have a sex life and I donât.â
It seemed that in the dead of night, he gradually became more unrestrained. Xu Xiran responded with six periods.
[âAre you not envious? Be honest.â]
This time Fang Mo sent him a message through text.
[âIâm a little dizzy, maybe itâs the alcohol hitting me.â]
Xu Xiran replied to him.
He didnât drink much, and he didnât feel anything before. But now after lying down, he felt that the whole bed was rocking slightly as if he was sleeping on a boat.
Fang Mo turned a blind eye to his words and sent another message continuing the same topic.
[âBe honest, have you ever been curious? Two boys doing that kind of thing, isnât that really badass?â]
Xu Xiran furrowed his brows and looked at his phone screen with his mind in a disarray. He subconsciously thought about something, but then felt that he shouldnât think about it, so he quickly drove those bad thoughts out of his head.
[âAre you not sleepy?â]
He asked Fang Mo.
Fang Mo replied back in a voice message, in that same soft and tired tone as before.
âI canât fall asleep. I get insomnia when I drink coffee. Itâs all your fault.â
Xu Xiran couldnât help listening to it a second time.
After listening, a new text message popped up.
[âTell me, what are they doing right now?â]
[âMaybe a fight has already started, and heâll come back tomorrow with a black eye.â]
Xu Xiran replied.
Fang Mo fell silent.
Xu Xiran then also sent a voice message.
[âIâm really dizzy, letâs go to bed. Goodnight.â]
~
He couldnât sleep well all night.
He kept drifting into dreamland, and Fang Mo kept appearing in his dreams, saying a lot of strange things to him. He felt that his brain was muddled, his head was heavy, his body was hot, and his throat was so dry that he couldnât speak.
This bad feeling lasted until the next morning.
When he opened his eyes in a daze, his roommate was standing by his bed and calling his name with concern.
He wanted to ask what the matter was, but when he opened his mouth, his vocal cords were so dry that he couldnât make a sound.
The roommate frowned and put his hand on his forehead, and immediately exclaimed: âYouâre so hot!â
Xu Xiran looked at him blankly, with his thinking slowed, and his whole body sluggish.
âWhat do we do? I need to go to class right now.â The roommate struggled for a while, then suddenly straightened his brows, âIs your wife in the dorm? Iâll call him up for you.â
~
Fang Mo appeared quicker than expected.
As soon as he entered the room, he ran to Xu Xiranâs bedside and then put his hand on his forehead. Fang Moâs hands were cold, and Xu Xiran felt comfortable, so he couldnât help closing his eyes.
âIs it because you got too cold last night?â Fang Mo withdrew his hand and became worried. âSleep for a while, Iâll borrow a thermometer.â
He was about to turn around and leave when Xu Xiran grabbed him.
âYouâre leaving me here alone?â he said.
Fang Mo didnât know what to do. He dumbfoundedly looked at Xu Xiran, who was holding on to the hem of his clothes, and after struggling for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up.
He bent down beside Xu Xiranâs bed, leaned in, dragged out his body pillow, and stuffed it into Xu Xiranâs arms.
âYour wife will accompany you,â he said.
Xu Xiran stared blankly at Xiaoyaoâs pillow in his arms, frowned, and didnât say anything.
When Fang Mo walked to the door of the dormitory again, he finally came back to his senses and complained.
âI donât want this fake wife.â
Fang Mo looked back at him, then quickened his pace and ran away.
~
Xu Xiran hugged the pillow, feeling aggrieved in his heart.
He felt abandoned and alone, with all the discomfort in his body rapidly intensifying.
He thought that he was going to die and that when Fang Mo came back, he would see a dead body that was still hot, and pay the price for his cruel abandonment.
It was too pitiful, Fang Mo didnât want him, so he only had Xiaoyao left.
Xu Xiranâs mind kept bubbling, filled with remorse, and immersed in sadness. Fortunately, Fang Mo came back not long after, with a bag in his hand that contained a good amount of stuff.
Fang Mo used the thermometer on him, and he complained in a low voice: âYou are so cruel.â
âAh?â Fang Mo looked puzzled, and then saw the number on the thermometer, and immediately became nervous, â39.4 degrees, almost 40 degrees. Should we go to the hospital to get that checked?â
Xu Xiran hugged the pillow and shook his head: âI donât want to move.â
Fang Mo was not considerate at all. With a serious face, he pushed away Xu Xiranâs arm, pulled away the pillow, and tried to pull him up from the bed: âGet up, letâs go to the hospital, hurry up. If we donât go to the hospital, at least letâs go to the infirmary.â
Xu Xiran was feeling unwell, but he was not weak, and relying on the advantage of his weight when lying on his side, he stayed on the bed and refused to move.
Fang Mo worked hard for a while, and even the mattress was a little crooked, but Xu Xiran was still nestled under the blanket as firmly as Mount Tai.
He was so tired that he stood beside the bed and gasped for breath: âAre you three years old? Can you be more mature? Get up!â
After he said this, he reached his hand to lift Xu Xiranâs blanket, but Xu Xiran grabbed his wrist without delay. The two tugged at each other for a while, and then Fang Mo accidentally stumbled and fell on Xu Xiranâs body.
Xu Xiran suddenly shrieked.
Fang Mo also panicked. He struggled to get up, but suddenly the person under him raised his arms and hugged him.
âWha-what are you doingâ¦â Fang Mo froze and moved slightly, âLet me get up.â
âI wonât go,â Xu Xiran hugged him tightly, âIâll drink more hot water. After I sleep and sweat it out, Iâll be fine.â
âThen why are you hugging me!â Fang Mo buried his head in the pillow next to his cheek. His tone was anxious, but his voice was trembling.
âYou took my Xiaoyao away,â Xu Xiran said, âYouâre taking her place.â
After he said this, the whole room became silent.
Fang Mo stopped struggling and didnât speak. He lay on Xu Xiranâs body, with only a blanket separating him from Xu Xiranâs body.
âWhy are you also a little hot?â Xu Xiran said, âDo you have a fever? Did we catch the flu together?â
Fang Mo, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke. His voice was very quiet, with a hint of anger, but it didnât sound lethal, and it was softer than last night: ââ¦Youâre a dumbass.â
Authorâs note:
Xiaoyaoâs pillow: My clothes can be taken off.
Momo: My⦠my clothes can also be taken offâ¦
Yin: Iâm stuck imagining XXR being the kid that is dragged off the bed and hanging on for dear life. But most of allâ¦..ITâS HAPPENING!!! ROMANTIC PROGRESS!! (Stares intently at the screen)